Nepal pays tribute to Mirza Ghalib

A special programme was organised here to pay tribute to noted Indian poet Ghalib on his 218th birth anniversary for his outstanding contributions in the field of Urdu poetry. The programme was jointly organised by the Embassy of India and B P Koirala India-Nepal Foundation at the Nepal-India Friendship Library in Kathmandu. The programme started with paying tribute to Ghalib for his outstanding contributions in the field of Urdu poetry. Sanath Kumar Basti briefed on Ghalib's works and contributions on the occasion. He said that Ghalib started composing poetry at the age of 11. Before Ghalib, the Ghazal was primarily an expression of anguished love but Ghalib expressed philosophy, the travails and mysteries of life and wrote ghazals on many other subjects, vastly expanding the scope of the Ghazal. THe programme had eminent poets, including Manoj Neupane, Tripura Poudel, Abdul Momin, Momila Joshi, Gopal Ask, Imtiaz Wafa, Gyanuwakar Poudel and Krishna Jung Rana, reciting their poems in Nepali and in Hindi. The powerful recitations by these poets were well received by the audience. On the occasion, Abhay Kumar, First Secretary, press and culture, Indian Embassy recited his own poem on Ghalib and Laxmi Prasad Devkota, the poet from Nepal. On the occasion, a book titled 'Dhupchaya' authored by Dr Krishna Jung Rana, which includes dozens of melodious Ghazal pieces, was also released.